State cites lack of details from U.S. for delay in jobless benefits

Friday

Thousands of unemployed Rhode Islanders will have to wait a little longer for unemployment benefits promised by the federal coronavirus stimulus bill passed last week.

They include independent contractors, sole proprietors and gig workers who normally could not collect unemployment. And they include the jobless hoping to get an extra $600 per week in federal aid on top of what they would otherwise get from the state.

At the start of this week, the state Department of Labor and Training, which administers unemployment insurance, had hoped to begin accepting applications for the new benefits this week.

That hasn’t happened.

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The issue, according to the state, is that the U.S. Department of Labor has failed to provide details about how the program must be administered and what information applicants will have to provide to get and keep benefits.

Asked to elaborate on those details, Labor and Training spokeswoman Angelika Pellegrino said: “Data collection requirements, for example, income verification, which is typically lessened in an emergency.”

On Thursday, federal officials held a conference call with the states about the stimulus (also known as the CARES ACT) and sent out a document describing the various parts of the federal aid. But it did not include the details the state says it needs to begin taking applications.

“The eligibility requirements for collecting [Pandemic Unemployment Assistance] are different from those of regular [Unemployment Compensation] and will be addressed in forthcoming guidance,“ the letter from the U.S. Department of Labor said.

Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., is concerned the federal government is dragging its feet on the issue.

“For the good of the country, the Trump administration needs to pull it together quickly, drop the ideology worries, and get these benefits out the door and into the hands of Americans who need them,” Reed stated in a news release Thursday evening.

U.S. Department of Labor spokeswoman Emily Wood did not respond to requests for comment Friday.

Rhode Island has set up a web page where those whose nontraditional employment has dried up because of the COVID-19 emergency can sign up to be notified once applications can be taken. It is https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/su/TMTsd0j/COVID19updates

As of 4 p.m. Friday, 14,387 had signed up for the notifications, according to the DLT.

panderson@providencejournal.com

(401) 277-7384

On Twitter: PatrickAnderso_

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